9 Reasons to visit Sri Lanka's east coast
21.07.2023 - 08:48
/ roughguides.com
/ East Coast
Sri Lanka is emerging as one of the world's coolest destinations, with growing numbers flocking to hotspots like the southern port town of Galle, and the tea plantation-covered hills of Kandy. Our advice? Avoid the crowds and head for Sri Lanka's east coast — before the rest of the world does the same.
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Resorts are springing up in certain areas (Passekudah beach, north of Batticaloa, being one example) but the eastern coast is still dotted with endless stretches of powdery white sand. You'll likely your chosen beach entirely to yourself (barring the occasional crab). One of our favourites is Kalkudah beach, although we’re equally smitten with the stretch of coastline near Kuchaveli, with its deserted sands and palm-fringed bays.
Although resorts have made it to Passekudah beach it's not too busy © Thomas Dekiere/Shutterstock
While certain parts of the eastern coast are earmarked for future development (often with the creation of SEZs, or Special Economic Zones), other areas remain totally crowd-free. This includes the beaches north of Trincomalee, which avoided development during the civil war due to their close proximity to the frontline. The beaches near Uppuveli and Nilaveli are two other hidden gems worth checking out, as is Pigeon Island National Park, a protected area with a handful of strictly controlled designated dive spots.
Don’t be surprised to spot dolphins and whales just offshore – huge pods of up to 1,000 dolphins are regularly spotted off the east coast. You don’t have to be a scuba diver to appreciate the fantastic marine life – slip on a snorkel to spot reef sharks, sea turtles and enormous rays. The wildlife isn't only beneath the water here – beautiful Arugam Bay, near the southern end of the eastern coast, is a great base for explorations of Yala East National Park and Kudumbigala Forest Hermitage, a reserve famous for its birdlife.
A pod of dolphins along Sri Lanka's east coast © Marcel Bettonville/Shutterstock
Sri Lanka is quickly emerging as one of the world's top diving destinations, and there are fantastic dive spots all along the eastern coast. The best time to dive here is between May and October. The shallow waters off Nilaveli Beach make it a popular snorkelling spot, and scuba divers come here to explore the nearby shipwreck. This is also where you'll find Pigeon Island National Park, famous for its colourful corals, reef sharks and turtles. Trincomalee, with its enormous harbour (the largest natural harbour in the world) is popular with scuba divers. There are dozens of shipwrecks here, including the remains of British fighter planes. There are more shipwrecks at Passekudah, another great spot for snorkellers.
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Perhaps unsurprisingly,